


Doctor's Orders

by thesupernaturalravenclaw



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Camp Half-Blood, Fluff, Multi, alternative ending, solangelo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-13
Packaged: 2018-08-30 14:16:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8536387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesupernaturalravenclaw/pseuds/thesupernaturalravenclaw
Summary: Nico needs bed rest, which means he and Will end up spending a LOT of time together. Hazel drops in, but soon finds she isn't needed...COMPLETE





	1. Nico

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this just after Blood of Olympus came out and before we heard about Trials of Apollo, so this is an alternative ending to follow directly on from BoO. It should fit with the canon up to that point except that in this Hazel and Frank stay longer than the other Romans and so haven't left by the end of BoO. It's my first work and I really enjoyed writing it, I hope you enjoy reading it too.

As Nico walked back across the green, he could feel butterflies stirring in his stomach. He couldn't believe what he'd just done - told Percy how he'd felt? In front of Annabeth and, more importantly, Will? What was more, he couldn't believe how free he now felt - like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, even more so than when Jason had discovered his darkest secret. Just having one person know had made him feel oddly relieved, and now that he had come clean with Percy and realised that he was over it, Nico felt lighter than a feather. He caught himself grinning like an idiot and quickly wiped the smile off his face before he reached Will.  
 "Three days in the infirmary, huh?" he asked as he came to a stop in front of the son of Apollo. "Sure you won't get sick of me sooner?"  
 "Death Boy, anyone can see that you're the sick one here," teased Will lightly, although his face was full of concern and....was that joy? But if it was, it couldn't be for the reason Nico hoped. "Now come on," Will continued, "I told you, three days of bed rest starting now-"  
 "Don't say it," Nico groaned, but it was too late.  
 "-DOCTOR'S ORDERS!" Will finished with a wide grin on his (irrelevantly, Nico told the butterflies) handsome face.  
 "Oh shut up, Solace," Nico replied.  
 "I'm serious!" exclaimed Will as they began the walk to the infirmary, up by the Big House. "Look," he said "you're all pale, even with that complexion, and the bags under your eyes are appalling. You need to rest. And when was the last time you ate anything?" And before Nico could stop him, Will reached out and took Nico's hand, lingering a little too long for it to be casual before moving his warm fingers up to his wrist. "And your pulse is way too fast - your heart must be overworked."  
 Privately, Nico knew that that wasn't why his heart was beating so fast, but there was no way he was admitting that to Will Solace. The guy was cocky enough as it was - he didn't need to know that Nico was-  
 Anyway. Nico shook his head briefly to clear his thoughts and brought his attention back to the real world. No use dwelling on impossibilities. Even if Will was - like him - he would never go for someone like Nico. Will was too perfect for an emo kid like Nico.  
 Nico knew he had no chance. So why couldn't he stop wondering?  
 He realised that Will was looking at him quizzically. Probably wondering if he'd completely lost it. He suddenly noticed that he was still holding Will's hand and quickly let go.  
 "Sorry, w-what?" Nico stammered. Gods, he felt so stupid. Will probably thought he was such an idiot now. Great.  
 "I asked which room you wanted," Will answered him patiently, a small smile tugging at the side of his mouth. It drew Nico's attention (and his gaze) straight to the taller boy's lips, which he noticed were perfect in every possible way. Nico told the butterflies in his stomach once more to shut up, but they didn't seem to be listening. Probably because they were concentrating on Will.  
 Again, Nico realised he'd spaced out, having once more not answered Will's question. They had arrived at the infirmary and Will had clearly given up on the question, just leading him straight into the first free room they came across.  
 Will went to get a medical kit from the main headquarters of the infirmary and Nico stood awkwardly in the middle of his new room. Should he sit on the bed now, or would that give a weird impression? He had no idea what to do, so he stayed standing, looking around at the room. As hospital rooms went, it wasn't so bad, and he supposed he'd better get used to it if Will was going to stick to his promise of three days' incarceration. And from what Nico now knew of the son of Apollo, he had a strong feeling that he would. The guy was stubborn. Almost as stubborn as Nico.  
 "Like it? If not, it doesn't matter - you've got three days here regardless. Doctor's orders, di Angelo," Nico jumped slightly and turned to see Will lounging against the doorframe, his blond hair slightly rumpled (which did strange, although not unpleasant, things to Nico's stomach butterflies). With a jolt, the son of Hades realised that Will's tight-fitting white tee had ridden up around his hips, revealing a strip of golden brown skin, stretched over a clear six-pack. Nico's mind was suddenly filled with thoughts of those abs, wondering how it would feel to touch them.  
 Will raised an eyebrow and Nico suddenly realised that he'd been staring. Flushing bright red, Nico looked down at the floor.  
 "Sit," ordered Will, pointing at the bed. Nico obliged, suddenly exhausted. Will sat down next to him and turned Nico towards him, examining the scratches left by Lycaon in their fight. Nico gasped as Will's fingertips brushed lightly across his temple, checking his wound.  
 "Sorry, did that hurt?" asked Will concernedly. It had hurt a little, but Nico had only noticed because of the jolt of electricity he had felt when Will touched him. He felt something stirring inside him, a feeling he couldn't name. Nico reached up, not quite knowing what he was doing, and laid his hand on top of Will's. He felt that jolt again as their hands connected, and both boys drew in a quick breath.  
 Slowly, Will moved his hand out from under Nico's and the son of Hades felt a pang of sadness. Of course Will wasn't interested in him. But then he felt warmth on his forehead and trembled as Will's steady hand brushed his shaggy black hair out of his face, then moved to cup the back of Nico's head.  
 Where Will's skin touched his it felt like a ray of sunshine had hit him, warm and rejuvenating. Nico could feel himself healing - not just physically but mentally. He hadn't realised how tired and strung out he'd been until Will started healing his exhaustion.  
 Suddenly, Will shifted his hand and the tiredness hit Nico again at full force. He wavered and would have hit his head on the wall next to his bed if Will hadn't caught him in his strong, capable healer's hands.  
 "Yeah, you should definitely sleep," Will said softly. He turned Nico gently and laid him down so his head rested on the soft pegasus-down pillow and he was stretched out on the bed. Nico could feel his eyes fluttering closed, and just before he drifted off he felt Will remove his shoes and tuck the sheets up around his neck. He felt safe and warm, protected. Maybe those three days of bed rest weren't such a bad idea.....


	2. Nico

 "Morning, Death Boy."  
 Nico blinked and the face leaning over him slowly swam into view. Will looked tired, but he was still ridiculously hot. Nico thought it was the best view he'd ever woken up to in his entire life.  
 "Do NOT call me that," he growled at Will, who only laughed.  
 "Sorry, di Angelo, but you're about as threatening as a puppy right now," he teased, bringing his hand to Nico's forehead as if checking for a fever. "A lot cuter though," he added, so softly that Nico thought he might have misheard.  
 "You did not just compare me to a puppy," the son of Hades complained. "Don't you know what I can do?"  
 "Of course I do. You can stay here and rest," Will told him forcefully. "Any attempts to use those Underworldy powers of yours and I'll add an extra day to your sentence, I warn you."  
 "Okay, I'll be good," said Nico with a grudging laugh. "But it better have been a really badass puppy."  
 Will laughed and pushed Nico's hair back off his forehead. "Don't worry, Death Boy. It definitely was. Now go back to sleep. You're clearly not a morning person."  
 Ignoring the order, Nico reached up and felt the bandage on his temple, covering what seemed to be...  
 "Stitches?" he asked disbelievingly. "Surely it wasn't that bad?"  
 "Why else do you think you were so tired? Head injuries do that - I'm amazed you kept going as long as you did after the battle. I'm going to need to treat you with an anti-werewolf venom serum as well - a scratch won't turn you like a bite would, but it'll still hurt badly and won't go away without the right medicine. The ones on your arm will need seeing to as well, but they aren't as bad. Then you'll need bandages there too, and I should think your feet are in need of callus cream too after all the walking you've done - good thing I need that a lot because of archery." Will said all this very quickly, as if he was worried Nico would stop listening. Like that would happen. Will was gifted with many of the powers of his father the sun god and, while healing and archery (and being extremely hot) were his main abilities, he also had a beautiful voice, mesmerising and enticing. Nico never wanted him to stop talking.  
 Instead of telling him this, however, Nico rolled his eyes and replied, "My feet are fine, Solace. And so is the rest of me, so if you'd just let me out of he-" He broke off, wincing in pain. He'd tried to sit up and suddenly his entire body ached.  
 Will raised a knowing eyebrow. "See? You're not fine. I don't know how else to get this through your thick skull, di Angelo. You. Need. To. Rest. Capiche?"  
 Nico nodded meekly and lay back on his pillow. "Whatever the doctor orders," he said - sarcastically, but Will seemed to take him seriously, nodding like Nico was finally seeing sense.  
 Nico noticed that his numerous wounds had all been cleaned and bandaged and wondered how Will had had the time. "Gods, how long was I asleep?"  
 "A good twenty-four hours, Death Boy. I told you you were tired." Wow. He hadn't been expecting that. "Now, I need to do some checks, if you're intent on staying awake for now. So; name?"  
 "Really?" Nico asked, and Will nodded, producing a clipboard and pen from his scrubs and scribbling a heading. "Fine. Nico di Angelo."  
 "No middle name?"  
 Nico shook his head. Truthfully, he'd never even known if he had a middle name. Spending over seventy years locked in the Lotus Hotel without parents tended to keep a guy from finding out a few things about himself.  
 "Okay....date of birth?" Will asked.  
 "January 13, 1931," was his reply.  
 Will whistled. "Well, you're looking pretty damn fine for your age, Death Boy."  
 Nico blushed. What did that mean?  
 And so the inquisition continued. All morning Will perched on the edge of Nico's bed, incessantly asking him questions that after a while seemed to lose any semblance of being related to medicine. Nico only realised after three hours, when they were talking about his favourite books, that he hadn't eaten anything all day and his stomach was rumbling. The time had gone so fast. That could have been his demigod ADHD, or just the enjoyment of spending the time talking to Will. Like they were....friends. Nico hadn't been able to open up to anyone other than his sisters...well, ever really. Bianca had raised him and accepted him and listened to him, but he'd lost her over four years ago. When he'd found Hazel they'd become close, and he trusted her like he'd never been able to trust anyone since Bianca's death. And yet, suddenly, he'd opened up completely to Will Solace, who was practically a stranger to him. Weird. Really weird.  
 Nico's stomach rumbled again and Will broke off his sentence. "Oh, gods, Nico, I didn't get you anything to eat! I'm so sorry. I'll just run to the dining pavilion and get us some food, okay?" Nico nodded and Will jumped to his feet and ran out, passing a surprised-looking Jason Grace in the doorway.  
 "What are you doing here?" Nico asked Jason, puzzled.  
 "I came to see you, man," Jason replied, dragging the visitor's chair over to the bed and sitting down. "I wanted to see how you were doing after....everything." From the way Jason tailed off, Nico figured he didn't just mean after the battle. He suppressed a sigh and braced himself. "Listen, Nico, I just wanted to tell you that what you did yesterday - telling Percy - that was really brave. That's mainly why I wanted to check on you, because I know how hard it must have been for you. So are you...okay?"  
 Nico thought about it. For ages, admitting his feelings to Percy had seemed like such an impossible, not to mention embarrassing, thing to do. But as he'd realised yesterday, it had actually been a relief.  
 "Yeah," he told Jason. "I really am okay."  
 "You sure? Because-"  
 "Jason," he cut in firmly. "Like I told you and Percy, I'm over him now. Okay?"  
 Jason blinked, clearly having expected a different response. "All right. Well, as long as you're okay-", he glanced back at the doorway, where Will Solace now lounged with a bag of food in his arms, "-I'll leave you to it. Enjoy your rest." He seemed to be fighting a smile as he left, dropping Nico a wink on his way out. Well, what in Hades was that about?  
 "Got so bored without me that you resorted to calling in Grace to talk to you?" Will asked teasingly, unpeeling himself from the doorframe he was leaning on and walking back into the room.  
 "No, I-" Nico broke off, flustered.  
 "Kidding, Death Boy. I know you must already be getting sick of me being here. Don't worry, I've got some other patients to see to - just minor injuries mostly, but they could do with a checking over."  
 "Can't - Can't the other medics do that?" blurted Nico, without even thinking about his words. He just really didn't want Will to leave.  
 "Well, if you'd miss me that much, I'm sure Kayla or Austin could cover me for a while," was Will's cocky reply. "But I will need to do the rounds at some point today - I'm senior counsellor and senior medic." He sat down in the chair Jason had moved over and spread out the food on a tray for them. For a few minutes they just sat in silence, sharing the plate of barbecue and grapes Will had brought over from the pavilion.  
 "Can I help?" Nico suddenly asked. "With the rounds and everything later, I mean."  
 Will looked at him, a slow smile spreading over his face. "Sure. I can always use a hand with the paperwork, anyway," he teased.  
 "Really?" Nico sighed.  
 "Doctor's orders, di Angelo. Three days of bed rest. Meaning no getting out of bed. Okay?"  
 "Fine," grumbled Nico, only half-exasperated. "Paperwork it is."  
 "Before that, though, I actually have to go check my patients," Will told him ruefully. "I'll be back soon, so just rest, okay?" He started to leave, then turned back. "Wait, I need to check your pulse before I go." He sat back down and reached for Nico's hand- no, his wrist, to check his pulse, Nico reminded himself- and pressed his long fingers to the inside of Nico's wrist. Normally Nico hated people touching him, but somehow with Will he didn't mind. "Pulse seems steady," Will murmured, "no, wait, it's speeding up-" Will cut off his words and met Nico's eyes. Nico knew exactly why his pulse was speeding up, and now he thought Will did too. Gods, that was embarrassing.  
 He felt warmth spreading through his body again, and realised with a shock that Will had taken his hand. Both boys seemingly losing control of their bodies, their fingers intertwined and their hands squeezed together. Their eyes met and Nico's breath hitched in his throat.  
 Someone cleared their throat and both boys jumped and let go. Hazel Levesque stood in the doorway, eyebrow raised. "Knock knock?" she said, looking between the two of them as if seeing something very interesting. "If it's a bad time, I can come back-"  
 Nico and Will both started talking at once, telling her that of course it wasn't a bad time, and Will was just leaving to do his rounds anyway-  
 "Okay," said Hazel finally, stopping the babble. Will nodded slightly awkwardly and stood up, taking the tray of leftover food from lunch and leaving, bumping into the doorframe on his way out and smiling slightly goofily back at them.  
 Hazel turned and stared at Nico, a huge smile on her face.  
 "NO, Hazel," Nico told her forcefully. "No."  
 "But there's something there, right? I'm not crazy?" she asked, still staring at him. He was pretty sure she didn't need any confirmation - he could feel how hot and red his face was getting.  
 "Just leave it, okay?"  
 "All right. All right. So," she said, reining in her grin, "how are you?"  
 "Tired, mainly. But I'm doing better now. Apparently, my werewolf scratches actually needed stitches and bandages. Before today I didn't really notice them, to be honest," Nico told her, watching her carefully for that sly grin. But it didn't reappear; she now only looked concerned for him. Motherly. It was nice to have someone fuss over him like that, he thought. Like a parent. Although he and Hazel looked around the same age, she'd been born about three years before him, so technically, while they were both in roughly their eighties, Hazel was his big sister. And she took it seriously.  
 She was just fretting about how skinny Nico was when her boyfriend, Frank Zhang, came running in. "Hazel! You have to see this! Oh, uh, hey, Nico. How are you doing?"  
 Nico started to answer him but Hazel interrupted. "What is it?" she asked worriedly.  
 Frank grinned at her. "Leo."


	3. Hazel

Leo was here? Leo was alive?  
 Hazel jumped up from her chair, hastily kissed Nico's forehead and sprinted after Frank. They ran straight out of the infirmary and into the bright sunlight. Hazel blinked a few times and shielded her eyes against the blinding sun....wait, even the sun wasn't that bright...  
 The view came into focus and Hazel saw the most beautiful sight of her life.  
 Leo Valdez riding on the back of Festus the bronze dragon, Calypso holding tight to his waist. The dragon swooped down closer and Hazel could hear Leo whooping and laughing like a maniac as he steered Festus towards the green in front of the cabins. Say what you would about Leo, the boy knew how to make an entrance.  
 Festus landed with a huge BOOM! in front of Cabins 7 and 8, almost flattening a couple of Apollo cabin's basketball courts. Leo hopped off his back and landed on the ground. There was a moment of stunned silence, then the hastily gathered campers broke into thunderous applause. Leo, being Leo, made the most of it and started bowing to the crowd and pretending to sign autographs.  
 Hazel fought her way through the assembled campers and flung her arms around her friend. Leo staggered backwards, clearly knocked off balance by her sudden onslaught of hugging. She kept her arms round him, sobbing now, for about ten seconds before she pulled back and punched him in the shoulder, as hard as she could.  
 "Jeez, Hazel!" Leo exclaimed. "What was that for?"  
 "If you ever- EVER do that again, Leo Valdez, I swear to ALL of the gods-" Leo just laughed and hugged her again.  
 "Missed you too," he teased. The rest of the Seven had joined them by this time, crowding around their friend.  
 "Knew you weren't dead, man," Jason clapped Leo on the back and grinned. Piper's reaction was pretty much the same as Hazel's; she left a bright red slap mark on his cheek, the colour rivalling the blush that had spread across Nico's cheeks when she had caught him holding hands with Will. That reminded her....that was definitely something she needed to discuss with Piper. Maybe later though...  
 Once everyone had hugged, slapped and punched Leo to their satisfaction, he cleared his throat and helped Calypso down from Festus's back. "So guys, there's someone I want you all to meet... except for you," he said, throwing a dirty look in Percy's direction.  
 "It's okay, Leo," Calypso told him quietly. "I'm here now. I've forgiven Percy for, you know, abandoning me," she teased before leaning in for a hug. Percy looked startled, but hugged her back. He stared at her like he couldn't believe she wasn't hitting him.  
 "You-you don't blame me for leaving you?" he asked her.  
 She seemed to ponder this, before shaking her head. "I did to start with, but after a while I realised you were probably needed."  
 "Still, I should have made sure the gods released you like they said they would after the war-" but Calypso cut him off.  
 "It doesn't matter now. Don't make them mad over nothing," she said, smiling. "So," she looked around the group, "you must be Annabeth, right? I've heard a lot about you."  
 Annabeth took her outstretched hand and shook it slightly warily. "From who?"  
 "Mostly Percy, but Leo had a few things to say about you too."  
 "Oh gods..." Annabeth groaned, and Calypso chuckled.  
 "It was all good, don't worry."  
 "Weren't you listening?" Leo muttered, and Calypso elbowed him in the ribs.  
 The others all introduced themselves and Hazel took to Calypso immediately. She seemed like a genuinely warm and nice person, despite her intimidating beauty - she'd be good for Leo. Hazel could see the difference in him, after only a week or so. Back on the ship, after he'd had to leave Calypso behind on her island, Leo had been so down - it had been hard on the whole crew to see him heartsick. Now that he'd found her again, he seemed so much happier, more...complete, somehow.  
"So, Sunshine, you want the grand tour?" Leo asked Calypso, sliding and arm around her waist.  
 "I'd love it," she replied happily, and the couple walked off towards the canoe lake. Hazel and the others looked at each other and grinned. Piper sagged in relief and would have collapsed on the ground if Jason hadn't caught her. Annabeth had tears in her eyes and Frank was trying to hide his smile.  
 "Hey, Hazel, weren't you visiting Nico in the infirmary today?" Percy asked her.  
 "Yeah, I- gods, I just left him when Frank came to get me! I should really get back there. See you guys later?" she called over her shoulder as she raced back to her brother.  
 When she reached Nico's hallway, she slowed down and stuck her head into the doorway, meaning to apologise for leaving him so abruptly earlier. But instead she saw him sitting up in bed, Will Solace leaning over him and redressing his wounds. They were both laughing quietly at something, but then their eyes met and both boys caught their breath. Sensing she wasn't wanted, Hazel smiled to herself and slipped away, going to visit a friend of hers from Camp Jupiter who was staying down the hall from Nico.  
 When she left the infirmary, Frank was waiting for her. He took her hand and they walked down to the dining pavilion, their fingers intertwined, ready to go get dinner together.  
 After the battle and all the time the Romans had spent at the camp, Chiron had relaxed the rules about seating at meals. Campers no longer had to sit with their cabins; instead, they could sit wherever they liked. So Frank slid onto a bench next to Percy and Hazel sat opposite him, between Annabeth and Piper.  
 "So, how's Nico doing?" Annabeth asked her.  
 "Yeah, he seems....okay," she said, trying not to smile too widely. "What about Leo and Calypso?"  
 The others exchanged knowing glances. "We haven't seen them since they landed," Piper explained. "Leo's really dragging out that tour...."


	4. Hazel

"Hey, people," Hazel heard as she finished her first plate of barbecue. (Damn, these Greeks knew how to eat). She looked up and grinned at Leo and Calypso as they walked up, hand in hand.  
 "Hey," Hazel answered as Leo dropped onto the bench, "how was your tour?"  
 "It was amazing!" Calypso launched into a full account of the day and how much she loved the camp and Hazel smiled at her enthusiasm. Leo grinned at her, then got up to get some food for himself and his girlfriend. Hazel watched him as he left and could just see how happy he was. It was in his face, his voice, his movements...their Leo was back.  
 When Hazel brought her attention back to the table, Calypso had struck up a conversation with Annabeth. The two girls were getting on very well, while Percy sat there awkwardly looking between them. Hazel felt bad for him, but he probably deserved to suffer a little bit for leaving Calypso. Although, if he hadn't, the world would have ended about ten times by now, so they were all pretty glad about it.  
 Piper soon got sucked into the conversation too, so Hazel turned to Leo and the others, wanting to hear how on earth he had managed to survive the explosion.  
 The evening went by ridiculously fast - it was just so nice to just relax and talk with her friends that Hazel completely lost track of time. She only noticed how late it was getting when they were unable to see each other except by the moonlight and the light of the bronze braziers. Looking around, she realised that Calypso had fallen asleep on Leo's shoulder, exhausted by her long day. It was unfair that she still looked beautiful when she slept, but Hazel supposed that was a goddess's privilege.  
 "We should probably get some sleep," Percy said to the group. "Tomorrow....wait. It's not a big day tomorrow. Nothing life-threatening, no giants to fight or people to save. We don't have to be ready for anything. That's a relief."  
 "Uh, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth said in a worried voice. "That's true for the rest of us, but not for you, I'm afraid."  
 "What? Why? Please tell me there are no more Great Prophecies. I thought Apollo had lost that power!" Percy's expression of panic was priceless.  
 "No, Percy. A different kind of life-threatening," Annabeth reassured him. "Tomorrow, we're visiting your mother."  
 The others laughed, but Percy paled. "Oh, gods...." he said, "she's definitely gonna kill me...."  
 And on that note, the demigods split up to get some sleep. When they left the table, however, Leo suddenly asked, "Where will Calypso sleep?"  
 They pondered this, then Hazel offered, "There's only Nico and me in Hades cabin, and he's in the infirmary tonight. She can stay there until we figure out a more permanent place - obviously provided that the decor doesn't scare her away!"  
 This agreed, Leo gently woke her up. Calypso readily agreed to stay with Hazel, so they all set off for the cabins together. They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, Calypso following Hazel over to the gothic Cabin Thirteen.  
 "Unfortunately, the builders didn't really consult Nico when they designed this cabin," Hazel told her ruefully, "so the decorators worked from some kind of weird vampire stereotype."  
 Calypso laughed. "It's not THAT bad....look, you have all these cool torches, and, um, you know....yeah, okay, it is that bad! But you can redecorate - I'll help you if you want. Looks like I'm going to be staying at the camp now, anyway."  
 "Thanks," replied Hazel gratefully, "and I'm glad you're staying around here. You didn't see him after he left your island the first time, but Leo was so sad, missing you. Heartbroken, really. We could all tell something was wrong and we were really worried about him. And now he just looks so happy. You did that. Thank you."  
 "Yes, he told me that you were the first one to figure it out and the first one he told about me. He showed me the drawing too - it's amazing."  
 "Thanks," Hazel said, blushing furiously. She'd never been comfortable with praise, especially from people she didn't know very well.  
 "I'm serious!" exclaimed Calypso. "Can you teach me to draw like that?"  
 "Sure," Hazel said, laughing, "but you'll have to teach me to sing. Leo told me you've got a beautiful voice."  
 "Well, any voice would sound beautiful to him. Have you ever heard that boy try to sing?" Both girls laughed and settled into their beds.  
 "So, Frank is your boyfriend, right?" Calypso asked her. "And Piper and Jason are together, and there's obviously Percy and Annabeth." Surprisingly, Calypso didn't sound at all bitter about that last one. She must have really fallen hard for Leo.  
 "Yeah, and I'm really glad he found you, because he seemed to be feeling a bit left out while we were on the ship."  
 "Hmmm....but the way he's talked about you, Hazel....did he maybe have a little crush on you?" Calypso's tone was teasing, but Hazel sensed that she really did want to know the answer. She was actually feeling insecure about Leo, and saw Hazel as....competition? She was flattered, but also knew that there was nothing for Calypso to worry about - on either side.  
 "I'm not really sure," she lied, "but he and Frank didn't get along when they first met, so that could have been why. We also have kind of a weird history together - his great-grandfather was actually my first boyfriend."  
 "What?" Calypso asked in surprise. Hazel laughed and began to explain.  
 By the time she'd finished the very long story, both girls were exhausted and decided they needed to switch off and get some sleep. Hazel extinguished the torches around the walls and was asleep before her head hit the pillow. And for once, her sleep was undisturbed by dreams.


	5. Percy

Percy had never been so terrified in his entire life. Not when he had bathed in the River Styx, not when he had thought Annabeth was dead, not when Gaia had risen - not even when he had fought the Minotaur aged twelve with no weapon and no clue what was happening.  
 Annabeth laughed at the look on his face. "Percy, it'll be okay, don't worry."  
 He nodded, still shaky, and rang the doorbell.  
 His mother opened the door and slapped him. "Perseus Jackson!" she shouted at him. "How dare you just- just disappear like that? Eight months, Percy! For eight months you could have been dead for all we knew! Don't you EVER do that again!"  
 She continued with her rant for several minutes before giving up and hugging him. Like Percy had always known, his mom just couldn't stay angry for long. She was just too nice. She hugged Annabeth, then ushered them inside.  
 "Percy? Thank god!" Paul Blofis, his stepdad, exclaimed as they came into the house. "And Annabeth too, both okay....wow. Wasn't expecting that, from what Sally's told me of your quests in the past." Paul was smiling, but he looked worried. Percy could see all the new worry lines and creases that had appeared since he'd gone missing and resolved that he would give Hera a good slap the next time he saw her, for what she'd done to his family.  
 Of course, his parents wanted to hear all about the quest, so Percy and Annabeth ended up staying for lunch. When they were finishing their food, the doorbell rang.  
 "Who could that be?" Percy's mom asked, winking at Annabeth, who grinned back. Puzzled, Percy got up to answer the door and immediately felt like he'd been hit by a truck. When his vision cleared, he could see that his Cyclops half-brother Tyson was looking down at him in concern, having released him from his bone-crushing hug.  
 "Brother! You are not dead!" Tyson exclaimed happily. "Yay!" Percy hadn't seen his brother since the Seven had been forced to flee Camp Jupiter after Leo accidentally blew it up, so it was great for them to catch up. Behind Tyson, a flash of red caught Percy's eye.  
 "Hi, Ella," Percy said, waving at Tyson's harpy girlfriend. Ella ducked her head shyly and kept muttering to herself. "Come on in, guys," Percy told them, moving out of the doorway so that Tyson could fit - mortal houses weren't exactly designed for seven-foot-tall Cyclopes. At least Tyson wasn't at his full height of ten feet - Percy would have been completely squished by his hug, to start with, and the mortals would surely notice something was off.  
 Percy led his friends through to the kitchen and they spent a happy afternoon with his parents, talking about the quest and other things, just generally catching up on the stolen eight months of their lives. When they left, Percy took the group to a secluded corner of Central Park, then whistled loudly, three times. Soon enough, Blackjack came swooping down, fully recovered from the injury he'd sustained in the battle and accompanied by his friends Guido and Porkpie, who carried Annabeth and Tyson (Porkpie complaining about Tyson's weight all the while). Ella was happy to fly alongside them as they returned to camp.  
 When they crossed the boundary, they found chaos. Not battle-with-a-monster-army-level chaos, just the normal, everyday kind. From what the other campers were shouting, Percy gleaned that the Hunters of Artemis had shown up at camp and immediately got into a disagreement with the Stoll brothers and, consequently, the rest of Hermes cabin. Percy exchanged looks with Annabeth, who also seemed to be trying not to laugh. He understood - it was so good to be home, not having to worry about giants and monsters and Gaia every waking moment.  
 But then something happened that made the situation actually dangerous.  
 Reyna arrived.  
 They'd been expecting her to be visiting frequently - as senior praetor of Camp Jupiter, she had a lot to sort out with Chiron about communication and visiting between the two camps. (Although Frank and Hazel and a few others had remained at Camp Half-Blood slightly longer, most of the Romans had returned home now. Despite being normally a good diplomat however, Reyna also often felt the need to get involved in arguments - if she took a side now, things could get ugly. And since Reyna and the Hunters had met in Puerto Rico, she and Thalia Grace had become fast friends. It was likely that the Hermes cabin would be making a fierce enemy today - something that both camps could do without while the peace between Greeks and Romans was still shaky after the eidolon-possessed attack on Camp Jupiter.  
 Annabeth, seeing this danger too, stepped into the argument quickly and separated Thalia and Connor, who both had hands on their weapons. "Guys, guys, calm down!" she told them. They both started talking over her, but she stopped them, clearly trying to find a solution that wouldn't hurt anyone. She was saved by Chiron cantering up and welcoming both Reyna and the Hunters to camp. He saw the problem and quickly pacified both sides by announcing a game of capture the flag for later that evening, where they could settle their disagreement. Still grumbling, the crowd dispersed, leaving Reyna and Thalia to talk to Percy and Annabeth.  
 "Good to be back," Thalia finally said, smiling. Percy couldn't agree more.


	6. Percy

The hour had arrived.  
 Campers and Hunters were assembled in the woods, preparing for capture the flag. After much deliberation (and bribery), Reyna had joined the Camp Half-Blood side - the campers were determined that for the first time in camp history, the Hunters would be beaten at capture the flag. They needed all the players they could get as, despite the attack in Puerto Rico, the Hunters still had good numbers and made a formidable enemy. And the last time Percy had played this game with the Hunters, even with Thalia on his side....it hadn't ended well.  
 This time, the Hunters would lose. Percy was determined. He wouldn't give Thalia the satisfaction of beating him.  
 "Ready to lose?" he heard, and turned to see Thalia grinning cockily at him.  
 "You wish, Grace," he replied. "You're gonna lose so badly you'll wish you were still a tree."  
 "Oh snap!" Leo decided to interject.  
 "Well, you're gonna wish you were back in Tartarus when I'm through with you!" Thalia shot back, still grinning.  
 Percy knew she was joking, but the comment brought back a lot of bad memories of his time in (literally) hell. If he hadn't had Annabeth with him, he never would have made it five minutes down there, let alone survived and come out the other side. Gods only knew how Nico had managed it.  
 Nico....there was so much about him that surprised Percy. He'd spent the last two and a half years thinking the kid hated him for what had happened to Bianca, but the truth was so different. The way he'd confessed his feelings though - that took serious guts, even if he didn't feel that way anymore. Which reminded him....  
 "Not his type?" Percy muttered. "How am I NOT HIS TYPE?"  
 "Gods, Seaweed Brain, I thought you were over this," Annabeth said, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek, roll her eyes at him and adjust his armour straps.  
 "I will never be over it. Not his type...." Percy kept muttering to himself, but he didn't really mean it. He was glad that Nico no longer had a crush on him (man, would that be awkward - it was probably a good thing that Will Solace had confined Nico to the infirmary for a few days) although Percy now felt really stupid having spent ages thinking he liked Annabeth. From the way she'd reacted when Nico had told him, though, he suspected she'd realised the truth a while ago. But that was Annabeth. Always ten steps ahead of everybody else.  
 Quite literally now - Percy had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed the camper team moving off into the woods and he now had to jog to catch up with Annabeth and Reyna, who were deep in strategy talks. Clearly they were as determined to win as he was - but a whole lot smarter. He left them to their conversation, glad they were getting along, and went to walk with Frank and Hazel....and quickly left them too because they clearly wanted to walk alone.  
 Finally, Percy spotted Grover Underwood, his best friend of the last five years, who he hadn't had much of a chance to speak to since....well, really since he'd been taken from camp by Hera, got amnesia and gone on a seemingly suicidal quest. They really needed to catch up.  
 "Perrrcy!" Grover bleated. "Good to see you, man!" They spent the walk to Zeus' Fist discussing the quest and generally just talking, which was so good to do after such a stressful time. It still amazed him how his life had gone back to what seemed like normal after the quest, but he supposed it had had to. No use dwelling on the past.  
 When they reached Zeus' Fist, Percy looked around at the group. Many of the campers, Nico included, were still in the infirmary or injured in some way after the battle, but those who weren't were here, raring to fight the Hunters. It would be a truly epic game.  
 "Okay, listen up!" Annabeth and Reyna had climbed Zeus' Fist and got the attention of the campers. They split the group into offence and defence - Percy leading the offence and the Stoll brothers leading the defence (they knew how to stop people stealing things and were determined to win after their argument with the Hunters). Annabeth planted the bright orange Camp Half-Blood flag at the top of the rock pile and everyone cheered, then took off for the game.  
 Despite the fact that capture the flag was rarely (if at all) played at Camp Jupiter, Reyna was a MENACE. She seemed to be able to be everywhere at once - fighting off attacking Hunters, leading attack teams, causing distractions - Percy guessed that when you've led a Roman legion in a battle against giants, a game of capture the flag, even against the Hunters, was a piece of cake. It was lucky Chiron and a few Apollo campers were on hand as medics, because between Reyna and the Hunters, half the group had minor injuries by the end of the game.  
 The game was the longest Percy had ever played in, and the most competitive by a long way. It finally ended when he and Reyna (Reyna doing most of the work) managed to break through the Hunters' defensive line and seize the flag. Percy defended Reyna while she sprinted through the woods, the Hunters' silver flag clutched in her hands.  
 They made it across the boundary and the campers erupted into cheers of victory. The Hunters were finally beaten and Reyna was the hero of the evening.  
 At the celebration, when almost half the players had been treated for their injuries or even whisked to the infirmary, Percy saw Thalia and Reyna deep in conversation and decided to join them.  
 "Gloating, Reyna? If you aren't, then I definitely will. What was that you said earlier about me losing, Thalia? I can't quite remember....but I guess it was wrong, because YOU LOST!" Percy laughed like an idiot before realising that their conversation had been much more serious than trash talk. "Wait, what's going on?" he asked them.  
 Reyna took a deep breath and looked at him. "They've asked me to join the Hunt, Percy."  
 "Wow," he said, and he meant it. He knew how picky Thalia was about selecting new members, but he guessed if anyone deserved this honour, Reyna did. "Are you going to?"  
 "I don't know. I know that the legion needs me as praetor right now, and while the peace is unsteady we need diplomats. But....in all honesty....I would love to be a Hunter. After everything Aphrodite told me when I met her, swearing off dating guys is no big deal, and it feels right to me. So I guess...." she said, speaking mainly to Thalia now, "if I can stay with the legion for a while before fully joining the Hunt, just to make sure everything's okay before I hand on the praetorship," Thalia nodded at this, "then I will join the Hunt."  
 Percy's eyes widened. That was a huge decision for Reyna to make, and he hadn't really expected her to take the offer. To him, she belonged in the praetor's office at Camp Jupiter, or (more likely) leading the legion on the battlefield. But maybe, he thought, she needed to step away from all that. The power. The responsibility for so many lives. He knew that pressure and power were part of the reason Thalia herself had become Artemis's lieutenant, three years ago, so he guessed it wasn't much of a surprise that Reyna had done the same. Those two were very alike and already seemed extremely close.  
 Thalia explained the pledge Reyna needed to take to join the Hunters and she readily agreed. By this time, a crowd of campers and Hunters had gathered around them and were whispering to each other. Reyna quickly announced that she would remain as praetor while the camps still needed her, and be a liaison between the Hunters and the camps afterwards. It was decided that Frank would take the role of senior praetor and Percy and Jason would split the responsibilities of the other leader until someone who spent more time at Camp Jupiter could be found for the position. Then Reyna took the oath.  
 Afterwards, everyone celebrated. Thalia called on the goddess Artemis to welcome their new Hunter, and so she did. She arrived at camp and immediately saw that Reyna would be an excellent member of the Hunt, so welcomed her with open arms. But then something more...  
unexpected happened.  
 As Artemis was leaving, another god appeared - none other than her twin brother, Apollo, who Percy had last seen in Greece, being sentenced to some kind of punishment by Zeus. That in mind, he had a horrible feeling that he knew what Apollo was doing here....  
 Rachel, the Oracle of Delphi, suddenly clutched her head and doubled over and fear gripped Percy's heart. If she issued another Great Prophecy....he was not going to be a happy camper. He'd had enough of prophecies for a lifetime.  
 But Rachel didn't speak any prophecies, just grimaced and straightened up. "The power is back," she told them. "The Oracle has returned to me."  
 "Yes," Apollo said lazily, floating down out of the sky, "my power has been given back to me by the ever-merciful Zeus," the slight hint of sarcasm in his voice encouraged the sky to thunder in the distance, "and so, yours has too. But my punishment for issuing previous prophecies is harsh." The campers muttered and whispered, and Percy's heart sank, realising what was about to happen. No wonder they hadn't seen Dionysus much after the war....  
 "I am your new camp director!" Apollo announced. "You may call me Mr A, short for Mr Awesome!"


	7. Nico

 "What do you mean I can't go?" Nico complained. "I'm not asking to play, just to go and watch the others!"  
 "And I'm telling you, no," Will replied, smiling. "I sentenced you to three days of bed rest and you've got another one left!"  
 "But I feel fine!" That wasn't strictly true; his head still hurt and he was sore all over. But that wasn't anything serious!  
 "Well, you're still injured. Any attempt to get up and I will extend your sentence. I warn you now, Death Boy, don't mess with me."  
 "Fine," Nico muttered.  
 "I have to go check on the other patients now, but I'll be back in a minute. Don't try anything."  
 Nico nodded and fumed inside. They'd spent the entire day together, just talking like they had the day before, but there had been moments that had made him think that maybe friendship wasn't the only thing on Will's mind. But now he was treating Nico like a child again, not allowing him to go and watch a simple game of capture the flag! He'd prove he was fine!  
 Nico swung his legs out of bed and sat up, wincing. He shakily stood up and started to walk towards the door. He barely made it into the corridor before his legs gave out and he collapsed. Luckily, Will hadn't trusted him not to try to escape, so he was waiting there and caught him easily.  
 "I told you you weren't fine," Will scolded. "Back to bed with you, and that's another two days left now!"  
 Outwardly, Nico complained. But inside, he was glad. He knew that he needed the rest, and, honestly, he really wanted to spend more time with Will. They became closer the longer he spent in the infirmary, and for some inexplicable reason, Will seemed to want to spend more time with Nico than with any other patient. He claimed it was because Nico needed the most care, but the son of Hades wasn't sure.  
 Will helped him back into bed, then sat down next to him. They both noticed quickly that they were holding hands from Will helping him, but neither of them let go. It felt right, even natural, for them to hold hands. Their eyes met and Nico couldn't look away.  
 Will cleared his throat. "So listen, I've been wondering-" His words were cut off when his sister Kayla poked her head around the doorframe and asked Will if he was coming to the game. "I need to stay and keep an eye on Nico," he told her, blushing slightly. "Otherwise he'll try to sneak off!"  
 "Couldn't someone else do that?" Kayla asked concernedly. "You've been on duty for so long, you don't look like you've slept - and it is your birthday! You should relax."  
 "I'm fine here," Will replied. "Have fun beating the Hunters, okay?" She studied them for a minute long, then smiled and turned to leave.  
 "Will do!" she called over her shoulder.  
 Will turned back to Nico. "Now, where were we?" he muttered.  
 Nico just looked at him. "Happy birthday," he said quietly. "Why aren't you going to the game? I'm not a idiot, I'll stay in bed now. You don't have to babysit me."  
 "You think that's why I'm staying?" Will asked incredulously.  
 "Well, I'm pretty sure that's what you just told your sister!"  
 "That was just to get rid of her! I'm staying because I want to spend time with you, you idiot."  
 This simple sentence made Nico ridiculously happy. Will wanted to spend time with him!  
 "Now," Will asked, mock sternly, "any more stupid questions?"  
 Nico shook his head and lay back on his pillow, not bothering to hide his smile anymore. Somehow, Will Solace had managed to break down the wall Nico had so carefully built up to hide away his emotions. He was free. "You were saying?" he said boldly.  
 "Yeah, I was," Will replied softly, his voice low and husky. "I've been wondering....about what you said to Percy the other day."  
 Nico's heart lifted, although he knew Will couldn't possibly mean what he thought he meant.  
 "I just wanted you to know that I thought....I thought that was really brave and I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for you. I wanted to let you know that I'm here for you if you need someone to talk to." Nico looked at Will and wanted to answer him, but he wasn't finished. "And I also wanted to ask - was that just Percy, or do you - I mean - just in general-" Will was blushing and stammering now, staring at the floor, clearly trying to find a way to phrase his question that wouldn't embarrass him. Nico decided to put him out of his misery.  
 "You want to know if it was just Percy, or if I just like guys in general?" he asked softly. Will looked up from the floor, and met Nico's eyes, finally nodding quickly.  
 "Well, I'm not entirely sure, but since I've never been interested in any girls, but I have liked a couple of guys, it's pretty likely that I'm gay, right?" He grinned at Will and Will, somewhat hesitantly, smiled back.  
 They talked for a while, just about everyday stuff, before the subject came up again.  
 "So," Will said, taking his hand again, "you said, 'a couple of guys'. Anyone other than Percy that I know?"  
 "Well," Nico replied, smiling slightly, "there's just this one guy, really - I'm pretty sure you know him...."  
 "Do I?"  
 "Yeah, he's a son of Apollo, actually."  
 "Really?" Will teased, meeting his eyes now and grinning. "Well, if he's anything like me, I'm sure he's a wonderful guy."  
 "He's a lot like you, oddly enough," Nico teased him. He couldn't believe what he was doing - flirting? With Will Solace, someone way out of his league!  
 Will seemed to grow tired of all the messing about and leaned in, tipping Nico's head up so that their eyes met. "You know, it's funny, really - there's actually a guy I like, who's a lot like you."  
 "Wow, really?" Nico replied, playing along and hiding his joy at Will's words.  
 "Yeah....but anyway," Nico's heart sank, "you're looking peaky again.... you clearly need healing." He pressed his hand to Nico's cheek and sadly shook his hand. "No, not working....I guess you need something....stronger." And with that he leaned in, closing the distance between them completely and kissing him.  
 It was like a firework had gone off in Nico's brain - it was his first kiss, and it was so much better than he could ever have imagined. Too soon, they had to pull away and they just stared at each other for a while.  
 They were just leaning back to kiss again when something outside the window caught Nico's eye.  
 Apollo. Floating in the air outside the infirmary, blond hair (so much like Will's) windswept and sunglasses on. Staring right at them with a knowing smile on his face.  
 Nico nudged Will, who turned and groaned.  
 "Damn," Will muttered. "Not now, Dad!"  
 Despite the embarrassment, Nico laughed. He'd never been happier.  
 Ever.


	8. Nico

 Nico slept, and for once his dreams were pleasant. He couldn't remember them exactly when he woke, but he could feel sunshine and warmth and happiness lingering with him. He didn't want to open his eyes, so he kept them closed and stayed in bed for as long as he could.  
 Will came in and saw that he was awake, so they talked for a while, kind of glossing over the events of the previous night, although Nico did ask about Apollo's presence. Apparently, he'd been made the new camp director. Who would have guessed? Unfortunately, asking about Apollo caused him to appear and make up a few bad haikus for them about young love, the battle with the giants and his own awesomeness. It was probably good that his punishment by Zeus hadn't taken his sense of self-importance and his confidence away, but Nico only felt annoyance right now. He finally got Apollo to leave by feigning exhaustion, which quickly led to real sleep.  
 When he woke later, he had visitors.  
 Jason and Piper.  
 Nico groaned inwardly. They were his friends, of course, but Jason was getting kind of irritating with his "wanting to help", and Piper, being a daughter of Aphrodite, would easily pick up on everything that had happened between him and Will. He pondered this for a moment, then gave up. Oh well. Who cared?  
 "Hey, Nico," Piper said quietly, smiling at him. "How're you feeling?"  
 He looked up and met her eyes, hesitantly smiling back (he must have smiled more these past couple of days than in his entire previous life). "I'm really just tired - I could walk out of here now if Will would let me." At that, Piper gasped slightly as if something had clicked for her and Nico groaned. The next moment, Will came in, having heard what he'd said, and told Jason and Piper that Nico had another two days left in the infirmary and most certainly wasn't fine.  
 Once he left, Jason and Piper both turned and stared at Nico. He rolled his eyes at them. “Can you just...be cool, okay?”  
 Surprisingly, neither of them pursued the subject. They simply talked of other things, catching him up on everything he was missing out on while he was in the infirmary. Honestly, Nico didn't really mind not participating in capture the flag or missing campfires. While originally unwelcome, the time in the infirmary had allowed him and Will to become closer. For that, he was grateful. And he knew that he'd needed the medical attention - he'd just preferred to argue the point with Will because he hadn't wanted to look weak.  
 After a while, Piper excused herself to take Aphrodite cabin through their activities, and on her way out, she bumped into Hazel and Frank. They came in and explained that they were leaving today to spend the next few weeks at Camp Jupiter - after all, Frank was the senior praetor there, now that Reyna would be joining the Hunters.  
 Then when Will came in to shoo away the visitors, saying that Nico needed his rest and two people at a time was enough, Jason and Hazel got up to leave, while Frank stayed, seemingly wanting to talk to Nico. This was very odd. Out of all of the people at camp he knew, Frank was very much one of the least likely to come and talk to Nico, whereas he had a closer friendship with Jason after Croatia, and obviously, Hazel was his sister. The most time he and Frank had really spent together was when they had visited Triptolemus in Venice, and Nico had spent most of that trip heroically transformed into a corn plant while Frank destroyed poisonous cow monsters.  
 Weird.  
 But when Hazel and Jason asked Will to come and talk to them "for a moment", Nico had a sneaking suspicion that Frank was only staying because the other two were talking to Will, not because he wanted to spend time with Nico. Why though, would Hazel and Jason want to talk to Will?  
 "So," Frank said, clearly uncomfortable. "How are you feeling?"  
 It was going to be an awkward conversation anyway, so Nico cut to the chase. "Why are you here?"  
 "To talk to you," Frank replied. "Duh."  
 "Really? I always got the impression that I scared you a little," Nico answered snidely, letting the hint of a creepy grin onto his face and watching Frank try not to flinch. "What with the whole son-of-Hades thing. Although, you don't seem to have a problem with Hazel being a daughter of Pluto - I guess her powers are less about death, though." Frank just looked at him. "So did Hazel ask you to stay with me?" Nico asked.  
 Frank nodded. "They, uh, wanted to talk to Will about something, and didn't want either of us there for some reason. Weird, huh?" He laughed awkwardly and looked at the floor.  
 So he'd been right. He also had some idea of why, but he put that thought out of his head. Surely not.... although it would explain the odd look he'd seen on Jason's face as they'd left. Fierce, almost protective. And he knew Hazel was protective of him....oh no....  
 Well, if he was right, he gave Jason and Hazel a lot of credit for perceptiveness, despite the embarrassment of the conversation he thought they were having.  
 He was proven completely right when he moved (ignoring Frank’s feeble protests that he needed to stay in bed) to listen at his bedroom door to the exchange in the corridor outside. He could only hear Jason threatening various bodily harms on Will if he ever hurt Nico, and blushed. It was touching, he supposed, that Jason cared about him so much, but he could only imagine how awkward Will felt.  
 Gods....  
 Nico left them to it and went back to sleep.


	9. Hazel

 "Jason, do not mess this up!" Hazel muttered as they left Nico's room, Will just ahead of them.  
 "I won't!" Jason hissed back. "This was my idea, remember?"  
 "Doesn't mean you won't mess it up," she replied sneakily, glancing sideways at him. She knew he wouldn't really do anything that bad, but surely it wouldn't hurt to reinforce the point?  
 "You guys know I can hear you, right?" Will told them over his shoulder, glancing back at Hazel. "What is it you want to talk to me about, anyway? I have patients to look after."  
 Jason muttered something about how well Will had been 'looking after' Nico, and Hazel elbowed him in the ribs. "We want to talk about Nico," she told Will as they walked into his 'office' - a slightly secluded corner of the still-crowded infirmary (not far at all from Nico's room) where he kept his paperwork and patient records.  
 "How he's doing? I've told you both, he doesn't have any severe physical injuries but he is both mentally and physically exhausted from all the shadow-travel he did. He's also got PTSD to some degree - we all have, but Nico's is more serious."  
 "Yes, you've told us that before," Jason replied. "We need to talk to you more about your treatment of Nico."  
 Will looked puzzled. "Rest and care is the best way to treat his exhaustion. I don't-"  
 Hazel cut him off, exasperated. "Your own personal treatment of him, Will." The understanding seemed to dawn in Will's eyes and he gulped, looking worriedly between the two demigods.  
 "How did you- never mind. It doesn't matter. You don't have to worry," he told them, and Hazel's heart sank, worried for Nico, "I won't hurt him. I would never hurt him."  
 "You better not," Jason replied, stony-faced, "because if you do, you'll be dealing with us. And you do not want to mess with us." They both tried their best to look threatening - it seemed to work, as Will looked sufficiently scared.  
 "Jason, man, I won't hurt him, I promise you. I want to help him." Hazel had to fight her laughter at the sight of Will's terrified face, and felt she should help him out a little. She put a restraining hand on Jason's arm.  
 "I think we've made our point," she murmured and, after a brief stare-down, Jason nodded and stepped back. He cleared his throat.  
 "Glad we understand each other, Solace," he said. As they began to walk back to Nico's room, Jason decided to start detailing the consequences of any hurt Will caused Nico, despite Hazel's best efforts. A slight movement in Nico's doorway caught her attention and she groaned, realising that her brother was eavesdropping and could hear all the threats Jason was making. Great.  
 She stuck her head round Nico's door and noticed him hurriedly rearranging his covers, trying to seem as if he'd stayed in bed the whole time. Amateur.  
 "Ready to go, Frank?" she asked teasingly, and he jumped up, looking extremely relieved. Wow. Hazel knew that Nico had always freaked Frank out a little, but she hadn't realised the extent of it. She'd have to talk to him about that and see if they could be reconciled. It couldn't be good to have a brother and a boyfriend who didn't get along, after all, and besides, Nico needed to make more friends and stop alienating people. Maybe Piper could help him with that - she was good with people skills. Come to think of it, she hadn't even really talked to Piper lately - they should catch up before she left to return to Camp Jupiter.  
 Leaving Will to take care of Nico, the three demigods left the infirmary and split up to go to their afternoon activities. Hazel had a session now with the pegasi, instructed by Butch of Iris cabin and also attended by Percy and Piper. She loved this time, especially since she would often get to ride Arion, her beloved super-fast and (at least according to Percy, who spoke Horse) extremely foul-mouthed stallion. He'd once been the only living creature who wasn't scared of her. Of course, now she had all her friends and her curse was ended, she didn't have that problem, but she still loved her horse.  
 It was a good day for Blackjack, Percy's pegasus, who had been injured in the final battle. He could now support his own weight, so he hobbled outside to watch Percy practise with Guido.  
 At the end of the session, after Hazel had ridden for miles past the speed of sound, she summoned gold from the ground to feed her tired horse, then caught up with Piper as she was leaving. They spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on everything that had happened since the battle, and when the subject of Nico came up, Hazel asked her friend if she would help him with his problem with making friends - Piper promised she would, and would even give relationship advice if Nico needed it, she said, winking - so she'd picked up on Nico and Will's new 'friendship' too.  
 After dinner, when Annabeth and Percy had regaled them with tales of the sea monster they'd had to fight in the canoe lake that morning, Frank and Hazel went down to the beach for a walk. Long Island Sound looked beautiful in the moonlight.  
 "All packed and ready to go?" Frank said, looking down at her. They were leaving to return to Camp Jupiter for a few weeks the next morning. After all, Frank was senior praetor now.  
 "Yeah, I guess....but it feels so weird to leave everyone now." Hazel looked down at her feet. They'd gotten to be so close on the quest that she knew she'd really miss the others when they left. Frank bumped her with his shoulder.  
 "We'll come back, you know," he said gently. "It's not forever."  
 "Yeah, I know," Hazel answered quietly. She felt scared to leave - worried that something would happen to her friends in her absence. It was a leftover feeling from the quest, she knew, and one that would take time to go away. Maybe it never would.  
 But looking at her boyfriend now, and knowing that the danger from Gaia was averted, she knew that everything would be okay, somehow.  
 Maybe they'd even get to live normal lives....  
 Yeah, no.  
 But who would ever want to be normal?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it, please let me know what you think!


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